Category Archives: Public Policy

Latest From
Public Policy

What do patent trolls and Nigerian princes have in common? Two things come to mind. First, if you get an email from either one, nothing good can come from it. Second, hardly anybody falls for either scam. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the most notorious patent assertion entity (otherwise known as a patent troll) has agreed to a consent decree. Which means they have agreed to halt their deceptive business practices. Of course, Read More >

A new report from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) has determined that strong patent protection accelerates the speed at which new drugs are launched in different countries. Providing affordable access is often challenged by the need to provide adequate incentives for developing new drugs, and ensuring affordable prices once they develop. Often neglected in the larger debate is that the speed at which drugs are launched and adopted in new countries is one Read More >

As of October 23,2014 more than 4,900 people have died from the current Ebola outbreak, concentrated in the three West African countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia. Frustrated that the process of getting experimental vaccines to West Africa was not moving fast enough, some were quick to blame intellectual property rights. But in reality, as government officials were quick to point out, the WHO first needed to resolve important ethical and safety considerations before a vaccine that Read More >

Amid the cacophony of calls for patent reform legislation, mounting evidence demonstrates patent trolling may be on the wane. As we reported earlier this month, the number of new patent cases filed in federal court has dropped by an astonishing 40 percent as compared to this time last year. A new data analysis by Unified Patents data shows more signs that patent troll suits are in decline.

Earlier this week, John Fauber of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote an article on measures used to determine whether new medicines for serious and life-threatening diseases should reach patients. Fauber seem(s) to suggest that the use of surrogate measures – such as tumor shrinkage – do not provide evidence of drug efficacy. The story fails to present a balanced view of the complex benefit-risk assessments that the FDA must carefully consider when reviewing applications for Read More >